Grateful

 In the midst of COVID 19, job loss, the American election, violence in Ethiopia, and so many other challenges, I forget how really blessed I am.  I have a loving family, food to eat, and a roof over my head.  I am truly grateful!!!

The pretty "grateful" die cut is from In Love Arts.  The die is super delicate, so I ran the paper through my Xyron before I cut it.  The paper is from the Echo Park club kit, the gold twine from my stash.  

Sharing with The Paper Players Turkey challenge. and The Paper Girls Challenge: Pumpkins Color Palette.  

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Experimenting

 The Paper Girls have an embossing/texture challenge going on, and I wanted to join in by breaking out my neglected stencils.  Then I realized - I don't have any embossing paste that is glitter free.  While I like bling as much as the next diva, glitter is a hard No for card for the military.  Not only is it the herpes of the craft world, it also shows up in night vision goggles.  So I went to Pinterest looking for a recipe.  After a few failed attempts, here is what worked for me:

1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon white glue
1 tablespoon white craft paint
1 tablespoon water

Ink, food coloring, or paint to tint if desired.  

Here are my results:

I took more than 20 photos, trying to get something that showed the awesomeness of these cards.  Big fail.  

Mirrored Circles

I was gifted a bag of circles die cut from silver metallic paper.  Perfect to use for The Paper Girls Circles Challenge.  

Quite a challenge to photograph!  Came out looking like the circles are white :(.  I added a medallion stamped with an old Just Rite stamp and die dut with the coordinating Spellbinder die.  

Masculine Cards

Even though I am not a frou-frou  person, I still tend to make cards that are a little more feminine.  Trying to branch out a bit using the Paper Craft Crew sketch challenge:

Using Simon Says and older SU sentiments paired with Geared Up Garage paper and some twine:

On my first attempt (not pictured, a hot mess), I embossed the papers with a gears folder.  WAY too much going on!  In this case, less was more.  Also playing along with the Paper Girls All About Boys challenge. 

All About the Boys

The Paper Girls have a male focused challenge going on.  Great reason to break out a new-to-me SU Best Dad Ever stamp set.

I stamped the ties with Versamark ink onto colored card stock, then fussy cut.  The patterned paper is from a Love Nicole Prince Charming paper pad.

Army Men

The Paper Girls have a "Toys" challenge.  My son always loved playing with his Army Men:

Paper House paper accented with Old Olive and Mossy Meadow.  Hero Arts sentiment.  Pretty simple card, but will be perfect to send to a deployed soldier!

Just for Fun

The Paper Girls have an April Fools challenge, looking for a joke, prank, or something funny.  I discovered I am woefully lacking a whimsical or funny stamps.

Fun papers from Main Squeeze, older sketch from Operation Write Home.  Be sure to check back on Wednesday for the next Words 2 Craft By challenge!!

Black & White

The Paper Girls has a Black and White challenge this week.  

Love how the different elements in the sentiment and the old Fiskars swirls stamps.   Still time to play along with us at Words 2 Craft By for our Hope challenge!!

In the meadow we can build a snowman...

The Paper Girls' challenge is to build a snowman.  I used a layering stamp from Stamplistic, and made these ornaments.  They will be mounted onto easel cards with temporary adhesive.  Sometimes I want to give someone more than a card, but not start exchanging gifts. 

I love all of the bling.  I brushed the "snow" with Wink of Stella to give it a bit of shine.  Be sure to join us at Words 2 Craft By for our Blessings challenge!

Sketch Challenge

I played with some fun media today:

The sentiment was heat embossed with JudiKins Lapis Lazul powder.  I used glitter paste embossing medium to a sunburst stencil, then die cut the circle.  The grass was also die cut.  The fancy border is an old Martha Stewart punch. 

Sharing with: 
The Paper Girls Mixed Media challenge and The Paper Craft Crew sketch challenge:

Color Slider Christmas Card - Photo Heavy Post!!

I wanted to make a color slider card.  In the process, I made a lot of pretty trash!!!

I inked the background with oxide inks and added the snowflakes in white, cut the snow with a stitched dies, stamped the Recollections image, patterned paper DCWV.  I stamped the image on the transparency with Staz-On, and colored the other image with Derwent watercolor pencils. 

I am sharing this with The Paper Girls Challenge #156 - Transparencies, and Shopping Our Stash #362 - Christmas in July, and Jingle Belles All Bundled Up.  Wow!!!!  I rarely am able to enter more than one challenge at a time!!!

Terrific in Teal

The Paper Girls have a challenge to use a bicycle on a project.  

Love this!!!  So summery, the color makes me think of the ocean on Hilton Head.  The beaches there are perfect for a bike ride! 

Winner winner!

I am so lucky!  I won the Season's Giving blog hop candy from Winnie & Walter!  It was a VERY generous prize that included stamp sets, dies, masks, and even some sequins!  THANK YOU!!!  I used sentiments from this really versatile set The Big, The Bold and Greetings:

I heat embossed the sentiment in clear, and used my son's old Crayola watercolors in pink and purple.  They didn't blend as well as I would have liked, so I added some oxide ink around the purple, and flicked some water to create the spotty look.  I added some clear sequins that were in my prize pack, and layered it on some matching purple card stock.  I will be using this set a lot!!!

Sharing this with the Shopping Our Stash Getting Sentimental and The Paper Girls Watercolor challenges.  The Words 2 Craft By Magical Beginnings challenge runs through January 24 - come play along with us!!!

Fall Harvest

I LOVE fall - even if it doesn't feel much like it in Ohio.  There is a field of sunflowers near my house.  Chocolate covered sunflower seeds are one of my favorite treats!

Close to My Heart Simply Splendid sunflower stamped in light and dark ink, then water colored in light yellow and medium brown and fussy cut.  Love the rustic look of the wide twill tape and grosgrain ribbon.  Sharing with The Paper Girls Harvest challenge. 

Come join us at Words 2 Craft By for our Logic or Imagination challenge!!

Labor Day Challenge from The Paper Girls

The Paper Girls Challenge is to create a project about working or an occupation. I work in training for a company that makes jet engine parts. 

Photography is so interesting. To the naked eye, the card is made up of variations on the same tone. It sure doesn't look like it in the picture!

Love you!

Lots of love/heart/Valentine challenges this month. 

I am sharing this with The Paper Girls With Heart challenge and Cards in Envy Be My Valentine challenge.  Words 2 Craft By has a Mardi Gras Celebration challenge going on - come join us!!

Christmas Quilt

The Paper Girls have challenged us to use patterned paper, as many as we can.  Well, my favorite way to use scraps is to make a quilt. 

I made this using the cover from an old DCWV cover.  The small scale swatches on covers are perfect for quilt type cards.  I embossed it with Divine Swirls to make it look like quilting.  Lot of time to join us at the Words 2 Craft By Change challenge!

Playing Around...

Lately, I have seen a few cards using the Spirelli (sp?) technique.  Freshly Made Sketches provided the perfect challenge to try it out!!

 My version:

My Mind's Eye Now and Then patterned paper, very old SU! sentiment.  Spellbinder's scalloped die cut with Coats and Clark Lemon Twist embroidery thread. 

Lawn Fawn Fun!

When I attended the Simon Says Create event last October, one of the classes was with Kelly Marie from Lawn Fawn.  She was quite generous, and gave everyone a set of the Holiday Party Animal stamps.  Of course, I had to buy the dies!!!

The critter is colored with Derwent watercolor pencils.  I fussy cut and popped up the package.  Paper Smooches sentiment.  The American Crafts background paper was textured with a very old Fiskars grass texture plate.  I am sharing this with The Paper Girls Challenge #94 - Celebrate!

Paper Girls Challenge - Large Letters

The Paper Girls Challenge #85 is to use large letters on a project.  This challenge is perfect for me to catch up on my Christmas gift making. 

BasicGrey LilyKate letters, the brown paper is embossed with an old Fiskars texture plate.  The J is highlighted with orange and pink crystals.  The white pearl paper is embossed with Cuttlebug Divine Swirls.  I sprayed the A with Glitter Dust.  Come play along with us at Words 2 Scrap By, our August challenge is for Book Lovers!